This month’s listening picks from the Caribbean — with commentary from Nigel Campbell on new music from Monty Alexander; Etienne Charles; John Sqweird; and Rai Hana
Monty Alexander
D-Day! (Peeweee!)
One could argue that, when making new music, an artist of the caliber of legendary Jamaican jazz pianist Monty Alexander – with more than 70 albums over a six-decade career – is “making events, not just records”. A grander vision than a collection of songs, a thematic story woven into a sequence, creates D day brilliantly shows the greatness of Commander Alexander. The 80th anniversary of the invasion of Normandy, D-Day (June 6), was also Alexander’s 80th birthday. Coincidence allows for a musical feast that takes the listener on a moody sonic journey, from pre-war France in “Aggression”, to a mid-war contemplation (“Oh Why”) and the subsequent “Restoration” of a nation with victory celebration and the joy of peace. Spoken by Alexander as a call for peace, Bob Marley’s classic reggae transcription of Haile Selassie’s 1963 UN address, “War,” closes this epic tribute to the idea of war and peace.
Etienne Charles
Creole Orchestra (Culture Shock Records)
The history of the great Creole gangs in the Caribbean goes back to a golden age in the French Antilles before World War II and a post-war counter-evolution in the English- and Spanish-speaking islands. Early immigrants to the island found success in pre-war orchestras in the UK. Trinidadian Etienne brings a new awareness of the Creole aesthetic to jazz and calypso music in his big band arrangements. The mix of trumpet, trombone and saxes is angular, yet the rhythm never drifts into any academic dissonance. The music on this album—a mix of jazz, swing, and calypso, enhanced at times by the sublime voice of Grammy nominee René Marie—swings along at a pace that never accelerates beyond the pounding beat of the human heart. The US footprint in the Caribbean, enhanced by the presence of naval bases during the war, had an impact that resonates in the music heard here. Charles captures that ethos nobly, turning the gaze magnificently.
John Sqweird
Beautiful Dream (self-released) • Single
Soul music is back in fashion. John Sqweird – formerly John John, get it? – has written a heartfelt expression of love and longing, a powerful serenade for an unattainable love. “Beautiful Dream” continues his lyrical exploration of metaphor and allegory – often seen in his previous work since 2013 – to mine emotions and find another path to Caribbean romance from a male perspective. A series of descending chord couplets define the music and lay a bed for lyrics that, in their simplicity, convey a message of desire without being overtly sensual. I wish I could fall, sleep for so long / You wake me up, my dead heart / This is a nightmare, I wish you were there / To wake me up [to] My beautiful dream. Soul music is – or should be, at least – internal and cerebral, not external and bodily. The contrast of verse and chorus, calm and majestic, with touches of hip-hop essence and the vocal vulnerability of modern soul music, make this song soar.
Rai Hana
Love Me (Self-released) • Single
Trinidadian rocker Rai Hana describes her new single, “Love Me,” as an “energetic, soulful, love-fueled pop punk/pop rock song.” It is all this and more. Pop music that doesn’t irritate and echoes obvious influences is an easy sell in the Caribbean, and here Rai delivers a song that has a hint of “sin” written all over it, but covers it with a familiar sheen that it camouflages what’s inside. This is a good song: subtle but obvious lyrics that don’t beat the listener over the head. The singer is in love and needs it… now! The current popularity of this style of song – delivered by Olivia Rodrigo, and a host of former teenage Disney stars turned pop princesses – was perfect for turning into a pig. The modern music business demands a kind of familiarity before it demands any uniqueness, so Rai Hana is on the way to winning if all her marketing ideas are in place: tropical songbird, familiar tropes, sly lyrics with a nice twist. attractive rhythm. Yes, this works!
